The Raven and the Peacock
by Zurixox
Summary: Two Vastayan creatures meet and team up, an unexpected bond slowly growing between the two. Xayah and her stubborn, secretive nature. Rakan with his optimistic, charming behavior. With their strength, what can these two love birds not accomplish?
1. Wild Magic

Hi there everyone!

First off, I would like to thank you, you very wonderful person, for taking the time to read my book.

Just for that, here's a cookie:

Now, if you are confused or curious, below I will put down Xayah and Rakans lore, just because I know I can be lazy with links. The lore is all from the official League of Legends website which you can find here:

en/featured/champion-xayah-rakan-reveal

Anyways, I hope you all enjoy this book.

Thanks for reading!

* * *

•—•

**Xayah**

_"Ever been stabbed by a feather?"_

~ Xayah

Deadly and precise, Xayah is a vastayan revolutionary waging a personal war to save her people. She uses her speed, guile, and razor-sharp feather blades to cut down anyone who stands in her way.

Xayah fights alongside her partner and lover, Rakan, to protect their dwindling tribe, and restore their race to her vision of its former glory.

As a child, Xayah loved listening to her father sing the ancient folk-hymns about vastayan heroes. The haunting melodies transported her to a long-forgotten time, when the spirit realm danced freely throughout the physical world.

But, with every new generation, humans encroached further into the Lhotlan tribelands, disrupting the raw, chaotic essence of Ionia for their own purposes. Unwilling to stand by and watch her kind fade, Xayah ignored the decrees of her people and set out to reason with the humans.

She ventured into villages beyond her secluded tribal home, and learned how little she knew of the outside world. A group of poverty-stricken villagers mobbed her, some of them trying to steal her feathers as priceless trophies.

Others were fearful of her strange appearance and summoned the authorities, forcing her to defend herself. Xayah's attackers were soon taught the dangers of getting in her way, as she skewered them with her lethal quills.

Dismayed, she returned to her home, only to discover that her tribe, including her father, was missing without a trace. An ancient vastayan temple had been tainted by unnatural shadow magic, disrupting its connection to the spirit realm. Xayah destroyed the temple in order to dispel the corruption.

Almost instantly, magic flowed back into the surrounding lands. It was a beautiful sight, but her tribe was still nowhere to be found.

After years spent flitting in and out of the most fortified strongholds and leaving a trail of bodies in her wake, she became known as "The Violet Raven." She lived alone, focused only on the next mission, and the next step toward freedom for her kind.

But then she met another vastayan who would change her life forever. As she entered the remote mountain town of Vlonqo in search of a stolen vastayan artifact, she was struck by the strange sight of a braying crowd of excitable humans.

Onstage before them stood a preening, flamboyant performer, a veritable golden peacock, who sang old vastayan songs for his captivated audience. As he finished his show with a dazzling array of cheap tricks—as Xayah saw them—the crowd erupted and chanted his name: "Rakan." He took a theatrical bow. She dismissed him as a buffoon.

Xayah willed herself to ignore the entertainer, and completed her mission. She made her escape, which she had to admit had become far easier thanks to the buffoon's distraction of Vlonqo's inhabitants.

Despite vowing never to see this "Rakan" again, she couldn't seem to get him off her mind. It was a strange and complicated feeling; there was a lightness to his spirit that she found aggravatingly alluring.

As she left town, Xayah was preoccupied by these strange thoughts, leaving her momentarily distracted to an ambush from a group of mercenaries. She had been expecting a fight, so she was glad to get her feathers bloody. A good brawl seemed the perfect antidote for useless diversions and unwanted feelings.

That was when Rakan made his grand entrance.

Xayah insisted she didn't need the swaggering vastayan's help. Rakan insisted he didn't care—he just didn't want to miss the party. Through the course of the fight, Rakan proved an unorthodox, but surprisingly dauntless and effective, ally. He leapt and pirouetted through the attackers who couldn't take their eyes off him, providing Xayah ample time to strike them down with devastating accuracy.

In spite of her protestations, Rakan continued to follow Xayah. Over time, she grew to welcome his company and—though she was initially loath to admit it—the world didn't feel so broken and lonely.

They became inseparable, with her passion for the vastayan cause infecting the showboating battle-dancer. She has adapted to his free-spirited ways, utilizing the chaos Rakan creates as perfectly timed distractions.

Together, they fight to release Ionia's abundant flow of magic so that the vastaya might thrive once again.

* * *

•—•

**Rakan**

_"I got freedom. I got a lady. I got a cause I'd die for."_

~ Rakan

As mercurial as he is charming, Rakan is an infamous vastayan troublemaker and the greatest battle-dancer in Lhotlan tribal history.

To the humans of the Ionian highlands, his name has long been synonymous with wild festivals, uncontrollable parties, and anarchic music. Few would suspect this energetic, traveling showman is also partner to the rebel Xayah, and is dedicated to her cause.

On the ancient, mystical borders of Ionia's deep forests live the last of the Lhotlan vastaya. It is a place where magic is breathed like air and time has little meaning. To these chimeric creatures, the mortal realms have become like an unforgiving desert, virtually devoid of magic. Few willingly travel far from their shrinking lands, but Rakan has long walked a riskier path. He journeys along the edges of the world's magical streams, as an explorer, emissary, and song catcher for his tribe.

An entertaining rogue, a welcome performer for any tavern or village carnival, Rakan was content with the simple adventures of this life on the road... until he had a chance encounter with Xayah at the harvest festival in Vlonqo.

Seeing her in the crowd, Rakan performed one of his old songs, entrancing the entire town with his gleaming plumage.

Though countless human and vastayan women had fallen for him in the past, this violet raven seemed immune to his charms, though not uninterested. How could she see him and yet choose not to follow him? It was a puzzle with no easy answer.

Intrigued, the battle-dancer decided he would accompany Xayah on her travels. He became fascinated by how she interacted with the world. She seemed always prepared, aloof, and focused where he was uninformed, affable, and frivolous—but in any dangerous situation, they fought together with uncanny harmony. Soon enough, the pair became inseparable.

After months of courtship, Rakan began to see the world through Xayah's eyes. Inspired by his partner's singular drive, he joined her crusade to reclaim the power of the vastaya, and take back all that their people had lost.

Through Xayah, he had found purpose, and Rakan had fallen in love.

* * *

•—•

**Nothing Rhymes With Tubebow**

Original story: en_US/story/rakan-color-story/

"Two paths lead to the monastery fortress from the villages below it," Xayah begins.

I follow her eyes and see a pair of golden stairways that stretch down from the mountain temple to the farmhouses below.

Each wood-woven home probably has a whole family inside it. There, mortals are born, die, and—most importantly—create new songs.

Probably with harps and drums. Maybe flutes? I should make a reed flute later.

First, I need to fluff my cloak. Did I remember to clean my feathers? The town below must have an inn. A bottle of wine would be great right now.

"Rakan..." Xayah says.

Crap. She was telling me the plan. I focus back on her face, on her crooked smile. The sunset's last rays reflect in her eyes. I love her eyelashes. I want to—

"Repeat it back to me."

Something in the monastery. She was... Uh...

"I rendezvous with you at..." I say, but I've already lost the thread. I pull at one of the feathers on my head, hoping to pluck the idea from it.

A tiny shimmer of light glistens from her scrumptious bottom lip. Are her lips purple today? They were violet yesterday.

"They will kill me if they catch me," she says.

The shock of the thought takes my breath. I feel my face twist into a snarl. "Who?!" I demand.

"The guards," she replies. "It's always guards."

"Then I'll distract them! When?"

She points to the sky. "Look for a green flash before the sun sets. Then draw the guards away from the western walls while I run along the ramparts to the cells."

"I put on a show the moment the sun sets," I say. "Where do we meet?"

"At the gate. I'll throw a golden blade into the sky. But you have to be there in ten breaths," Xayah says, plucking a feather from my cloak.

"I will be at that gate the moment you throw the blade," I say. Nothing in my life is more certain than that.

"I know."

She nods, and begins telling me the safest path to take. She plans things, which is why I know she will be okay. Wow, the sky is gorgeous right now. That cloud is shaped like an eggplant. I saw a dog once...

I do not like these steps. I do not like them. The gold leaf covering the stone is almost the same color as my feathers. It's infuriating. I consider changing their hue, but it would take some magic. Damn, I can't be tired when she needs me. Xayah probably sent me this way knowing my plumage would blend in here. A red cape would look better against these steps. Maybe indigo? What's around this corner?

More steps. Only humans would cut stone into flat shapes to make a mountain boring! I should climb the cliff. Xayah said to take the steps... I'm pretty sure.

I pick up some pebbles and begin to juggle them. I hear the magic writhing north of me, within the twisting roots of the Lhradi Forest.

The forest's song finds its way into my head, and I begin to sing it.

"What was that?" a voice echoes from above.

An entry way! A human guard appears. His clothing is dark as shadow.

"Who are you?" he demands.

"I am Rakan!" I reply. How can anyone not know that?

"Who?"

I don't like him. I hate him more than steps.

"I am Rakan! The battle-dancer of the Lhotlan tribe. I am the song of the morning. I am the dance of the midnight moon. I am the charm that—"

"It's that vastayan entertainer," another guard interrupts. He too wears boring clothing—clothes I haven't seen in this area before.

The first guard wears a shiny golden amulet on his chest. I snatch it from him.

"Hey!"

"What's this?" I ask. He doesn't deserve this. Whatever this is.

He grasps for it, but I flip it around my hand while still juggling the pebbles in the other.

"Give me that!"

I flick each stone into his face.

"No," I say. Then, as innocently as I can, I ask, "Is it important?"

He draws a pair of hook-swords. I take one away from him before he can raise them.

"Open the gate, I'll give you back this... uh... shiny thing," I offer as I twirl his amulet in my palm, and then send it spinning up my arm.

Instead, the rude fool swings at me! I flip over his attack, and land behind him. He turns to slash again. I dive under his blade, using my rear to knock him off balance. He falls down the steps with a scream.

The other guard watches his friend tumbling away, then looks back to me. I shake my head at him.

"Honestly, how could anyone not know who I am?"

This one stabs at me with his spear. I twist past him, allowing my feathered cloak to envelop him for a moment. Blinded, he stumbles and trips over himself. He falls onto his shield and shoots down the stairway with a clack-clack-clacking sound. Well, until he crashes into his friend on the first landing.

The impact sends them both sprawling. I laugh. Now I get steps.

"You are terrible dancers," I say as I check my cloak for dirt.

The two people stumble to their feet, glaring up at me.

"You okay?" I ask, thankful for the amusement.

They roar as they rush up the steps. Ungrateful bastards.

I leap away from them and ask, "Wanna know the difference between a party and a fight?"

They slash at me with their weapons again and again.

"One is an entertaining day," I say as I send them back down the stairs. "The other is... shorter."

A deafening gong sounds behind me. I smile. The fun part begins.

"You gotta do better than that!" I yell, taunting my pursuers as I run. I do need to get out of here, though.

There are twenty guards now. Okay, maybe thirty? More than lots.

Running through their sleeping chambers was a bad idea. However, it did give me a chance to freshen up.

Some of the men have those strange crossbows. They use fire from a tube. They had a name. I'm gonna call 'em tubebows. Their shots explode around me, eating holes into the wall as I dive out of the room.

I slide into the courtyard, performing a full twist to give it some flair. The gate is open. I could run for it, but Xayah needs me.

Hidden in an alcove, a guard swings at me with a large tubebow. Or is bowtube better? He pulls at the trigger. I leap toward him, diving over his shot.

"What's a good rhyme for tubebow?" I ask out loud.

I kick the guard up in the air. As he falls, I spin and introduce my hand to his cheek. The sound is louder than his weapon.

"Oh, slap!" I say, mimicking its intensity.

The human rolls to his feet, pulling a short sword.

"How are you not getting the message?!"

I wonder if I can find a kitchen. That's where the chocolate would be.

The light in the sky is changing. I leap back into the air to check the sun's location again. It disappears behind the hills, and an orb of green light flashes above it.

"Party time!" I scream. Now, the entire castle is chasing me.

"Surrender yourself!" a guard in a metal hat yells.

"No! I am distracting you!" I reply.

He looks at me confused. I'm gonna slap him next.

A hail of arrows launches from the opposite wall. I swerve through them, enjoying the whistle they make as their fletching passes me.

Would I look good in that metal hat?

The golden blade hangs in the air for a second before falling. Xayah is ready to go.

I take my first breath. She said I had ten, but four breaths is much too long. I need to know she's safe.

"Wanna see some sweet moves?" I ask the nearest human.

He doesn't seem enthused. I roll through the group and appear behind him. He turns just in time to meet my cloak halfway. My feathers spin him up into the air like a top. Twelve spins is my record, but that was on a hill.

Second breath. The human slams into the ground after nine rotations. Damn. I don't have time to try again.

Third breath. I have to make it back to where she needs me, back to Xayah.

I leap up the rampart, then bound off its roof toward the gate.

I take the fourth breath in midair.

Xayah runs toward the gate with some fancy juloahs—they are hairy where we have colored feathers. They must be from the Sodjoko tribe. Too formal looking, but I do like the thick ridge of hair that flows along the back of their forearms. I should make my feathers do that. The eldest one's sarong seems like a terrible idea.

"We'll never make it," he cries. "They have rifles!"

"You mean the tubebows?" I ask.

Akunir stares at me blankly.

"Those are out of ammo," I explain. "The Xini longbows too."

"What?! How?"

"I am Rakan," I explain. I expect this from humans, but my own kind?

"All of you, run for the tree line," Xayah says.

A dozen men, covered in flour and chocolate, run out from the guardhouse. Mixed with eggs, they would make a thing called 'cake.' Pies are better though...

"Run!" Xayah yells. When the old juloah fails to move, I pull him along.

Coll kneels beside her guard's body. She and Xayah pray that his spirit finds our lands. One of his horns is broken, blood pools in the leaves around him. Coll removes the last arrow from his corpse. He carried her all the way here, even after the humans wounded him.

This juloah should not have died. Someone loved him. They will sing his songs. But only silence will answer.

My eyes well with tears. Softly, I sing for his loss, and his family's.

Xayah stands with her fist clenched. She won't grieve now. Instead, the pain will find her tonight when she thinks I'm asleep. That is her way. I will kiss away her sorrow then.

The consul is named Akunir. He might have been a battle-dancer when he was young. He and Xayah begin arguing about politics.

Coll kisses the forehead of her guard. Her jaw is tight. She holds an anger stronger than Xayah's. She glares at her husband Akunir. She has been waiting for him to listen for far too long.

"I will go back north, Akunir," Coll says as she rises. "I will tell them what was done to us." Her arms are as tight as branches, rigid against her sides.

"Coll, no," Akunir protests.

"I will bear word of Jurelv's fate to his kin, and mourn with them," she says.

That must have been the guard's name. Perhaps he was kind. I like the smile lines on the side of his face.

"Then, I will muster arms and prepare the tribe to fight."

"You cannot do that!" the consul yells.

"I forsake my claim to you. I forsake your claim to me," she speaks coldly.

Akunir looks as if he's been stabbed. He did not see this running down the hillside? Or in the forest? Or beside the dead guard? It was decided long ago. Moons ago.

"Coll... please."

"No," she states simply. He moves to grab her. I block him.

"I will speak with my mate," he says.

I can feel his breath on my chin. He ate guloo fruit recently. My nose nearly touches his forehead. He glares up at me.

I simply shake my head and shrug. I don't need words. For this, silence is better.

His remaining two guards tense. They don't want to dance with me. I am Rakan. They know my name. They glance nervously to Xayah holding her blades. They know her name too.

"Thank you, Xayah," Coll says before limping away.

Akunir and his guards watch her go. Wordlessly, they set off to the south, leaving us alone.

I move close to Xayah. I feel her sadness for Jurelv, Coll, and for Akunir. I'll drink wine tonight. Then I'll sing rude songs.

"Promise me nothing will come between us like that, mieli," she says.

"We're not like them, miella. We'll never be like them," I reply. I can feel her worry. She's smarter than me about so many things, but foolish about love sometimes.

"Where to now, Xayah?"

"Let's just stay here a moment longer."

I wrap my cloak and arms around her. I will tickle her later. We will laugh and drink. She will plan and I will sing. I feel her cheek on my chest. I'm glad that Xayah needs me now.

"Repeat it back to me," she says.

"We are not like them," I say again. "We are not like them."

•—•


	2. Two Birds Meet

༺༻

_"If love is feeling so deeply for another that you want to chew your way under their skin, then I love Rakan..."_

~ Xayah

༺༻

Hi there everyone! This chapter started off as a teaser, but since this story is now officially in full development I've turned it into a full chapter. I hope you enjoy!

* * *

It was a somewhat chilly day, around middle-late fall.

Xayah was currently walking to her next destination. A village which held something that was stolen from a tribe that used to be close to hers, an artifact that meant everything to them.

She has been tracing this item for about a year now, traveling from village to village in hopes of picking up some information on where it could be. She finally found it.

As she walks into the village, she glances around, humans wandering everywhere with items in their arms and smiles on their faces. She watches as some hold hands, where some watch as others pass by, observing. She lets out a slightly annoyed huff at one guy who eyes her, sending a wink her way.

Xayah had her hood pulled up to where her ears are pressed against her head, invisible to someone who doesn't look close enough. Her feathered-cloak wrapped in front of her, looking like a cloaked blanket that a hunter had made.

That thought disgusted her.

She couldn't completely hide her animal-like features however, as her taloned feet stood out like a sore thumb. She wouldn't have to hide herself if humans would just leave her kind alone, but they just don't know when to stop. That's why she is standing here, hidden as best as she could possibly manage underneath this oddly colored disguise.

She continues to walk around for a while, observing each humans movements, occasionally getting a glance or two towards her but for the most part she was ignored, thankfully.

She watched in hatred as some of the humans cooked their 'prize' from their previous hunt that spilt the blood of a poor creature that had no chance against their forces. Xayah couldn't lie when she says she hasn't killed animals before, but in those odds it was always for her survival. Not this stupid 'game' that humans would play and then hang the poor things limbs like a trophy.

"Taitah be Tervash." Xayah whispers sadly to the creature, only loud enough for her to hear.

These sights are more common than not in the current present, which angers Xayah greatly. The Vastayan named the world. We named the trees, the wind, the mountains. We know their power. These petty humans are just as ungrateful as they come.

The world owes the Vastaya a great debt. She was here to collect.

Xayah sighs to herself, knowing well that she could easily go in and get what she needs and be done there, but there's just the ping of regret deep inside of her that wants to show the humans what it means for them to disturb their kind. Although the thought of the humans making prey out of her kind like some sort of sick game, Xayah had no problem with playing along with them and getting her feathers dirty. Xayah shakes her head, her mind going back to her reason of being here.

As Xayah turns a corner, she notices a crowd surrounded what appears to be a stage. Assuming it's just another one of those performances that these humans consider entertainment, she continues walking past them.

That is, until she hears a song. A song greater than any human could produce.

Xayah glances over the crowd, trying to catch a glimpse of the melody that she is hearing, her curiosity growing stronger by the second.

There, standing on the stage, was another Vastayan, preforming for the crowd that was surrounding him. His yellow-golden-green feathers reflecting in the sun, nearly glowing. Reminding Xayah of a Peacock.

He was dancing and humming, and Xayah couldn't lie to herself, he was pretty good.

Xayah watches his movements closely, not noticing the blue eyes that are watching her as the performance continues.

After a few minutes, Xayah shakes her head,

You're getting distracted. Keep on track. She tells herself as she walks into the crowd once more, disappearing from the sight of the performer, oblivious to the fact that the Peacock was upset about the absence of her when he glanced back and noticed her missing.

* * *

It was just another day for Rakan. He had wandered into a human village in hopes of gaining more attention and maybe even find one of his own kind. The chance of that was slim though, so he didn't think too much about it.

He stumbles up to a vacant stage, clear of anything but a few flower petals that he assumed were there from the last performance.

People begin to gather around, his bright golden feathers seeming to glow the way the sun is shining on them, catching the attention of quite a bit of people. It wasn't every day that you'd see a glowing gold performer.

Rakan takes a deep breath and begins to hum to himself, getting himself warmed up as his body slowly starting to move with the melody. He gains a smirk on his face as people watch him with a look of wonder in their eyes as he dances, being sure to show off his bright colors as he moves.

That was until the dark outline of a cloaked female caught his eye. A mix of dark purples and lovely violets that he wouldn't dare look away from, afraid of losing the beautiful sight.

From the back of the crowd, the beautiful female watches him, making a feeling of nervousness arise. What was this? Why was he feeling this way? Rakan never got nervous over people watching him. He looked over her, taking in her appearance. Her hair was tied up and hanging over her left shoulder. Her violet-colored feathered-cloak wrapped around the front of her, hiding her clothes or any other feature from everyone. However, Rakan couldn't help but notice the slight buzz that went off in his chest whenever he locked eyes with her, or the tug that he felt every time her eyes wandered over him. She was captivating, and Rakan was interested in figuring out why he was feeling the way he did by her presence.

Then it clicked, and Rakan couldn't help the feeling of excitement that flooded through his veins. Her unusual yellow eyes, too bright to be human. The hood draped over her head, hiding any abnormal features. The cloth wrapped around her feet, the slight outline of talons sticking out if you looked close enough. But what finally made his mind distinguish the situation was the buzzing, which slowly turned into a soft yet strict melody. A song. Her song.

She was Vastayan, an avian at that. Just like Rakan.

Rakan meets her eyes, piercing yellow, as they watch his every move. Rakan begins to move more swiftly and elegantly, putting extra focus and effort into his moves as he goes, just for her.

Rakan glances away from her for just a second as cheers and chants started to erupt within the crowd, only to look back and see that the place where she once stood was now empty.

A slight frown formed on his face as he looks around for her, but spotting her no where, he decides to end his dance with a bow. Clapping erupted from the crowd as Rakan quickly ran past them, avoiding any hands trying to grab him or anyone attempting to stop him to put on another show, trying to find out where the girl had went.

He didn't even get her name.

* * *

Xayah reached a somewhat large building, the front guarded by two humans.

This must be it. Doesn't seem very protected if you ask me. Xayah thinks as she approaches the building without being noticed, perched on a metal pipe that ran throughout the top of the building. Xayah curls one of her hands up into a slight fist, two feather daggers appearing between her fingers as she takes aim and in seconds hears two thuds.

Without a second glance, Xayah quickly rushes into the building, looking around at all of the artifacts and ancient-looking items littered about.

These all must be stolen goods. She thought as she finally found what she was looking for.

She quickly grabs it and runs out of the building.

"Hey! Stop her!" Someone yells as Xayah runs, assuming it's another guard, she quickens her pace. Ignoring the humans that attempted to grab her or slow her down.

As she approaches the forest, she glances down at the item. A beautiful blue crystal, glowing slightly in the reflection of the sun, glistening with breathtaking magic. An artifact sacred to her fathers close friend.

It reminded her of that Peacocks eyes.

Quickly, she shook her head, getting out of the daze she was in. She shouldn't be thinking like that, especially about some stranger who she didn't even know. But even after snapping out of her thoughts, Xayah couldn't help but notice the slight throb in her chest when she thought of the golden performer.

Xayah didn't realize she had become surrounded until it was too late, her back to a tree and three other guards surrounding her. Xayah looked for an opening, but internally groaned as she found none.

"You messed with the wrong people, you littl-" the guard was interrupted by one of the guards suddenly being kicked over.

Xayah held a look of confusion as she noticed a familiar golden-feathered Peacock now running through the opening he had made, a smug grin on his face as he looks at Xayah.

"I can never resist an invitation to dance!" He says and without a second to spare, begins to run around the other two guards, blinding them with his feathers as the sun reflects off of them, giving Xayah an opportunity.

Xayah watches him in slight fascination, but shakes her head, getting over the moment as she throws three feather daggers at each guard, each one perfectly implanting themselves in the guards chests.

Xayah glances at the golden-feathered Peacock, rolling her eyes as a purple light emits from her hand, the feathers pulling back towards her and disappearing into thin air as they reach her, as if they were never there in the first place.

"I could have handled them myself." Xayah says, voice somewhat full of annoyance.

"Maybe, but I just couldn't resist." The Peacock says, a smug look on his face.

Xayah once again rolls her eyes, starting to walk away. Even with how much she hated him assisting in something so small, she can't help but agree with herself that his skills, while very immature, seem to be viable. At least as a distraction.

"Wait a second!" The Peacock yells, trying to stop her from walking away. "Where are you heading?"

Xayah stops, glancing back at him, his blue eyes holding curiosity. Xayahs ears twitched slightly under her hood as the throbbing in her chest grew.

"Just a tribe towards the North. I have something I need to return to them." Xayah says as she pulls the crystal closer to her, hiding it from anyone's sight.

"I was going to start heading that way soon.. mind if I tag along?" The Peacock says.

Xayah takes a moment to think. She had been traveling alone for many years. No one had ever asked to travel with her, and while a bit of excitement raised inside of her, the feeling of caution overran it and made her hesitant. But after a minute, Xayah turned around and looked into the eyes of the golden bird once more.

"I have no reason to say no, but I also have many reason as to why I can't trust you. You may join me, but please don't slow me down or make yourself untrustworthy." Xayah says.

"My name is Xayah, what's yours?"

"Rakan." He says, a slight smirk on his face, excitement and determination clear in his eyes.

Xayah rolls her eyes. This is going to be a long trip, she thinks to herself. However, she cannot deny the feeling of slight happiness for not having to travel alone.

Little did she know, she would never be traveling alone again.

* * *

**A/N**

Thank you everyone who is reading this! I hope you look forward to the future when more chapters are released.

See you all soon!


	3. An Elegant Dance

༺༻

_"What we have is greater than some human word."_

~ Xayah

༺༻

* * *

Xayah sat in the middle of the forest, wind blowing through the trees, shaking them slightly. Xayah picks a leaf from the top of her head, it landing there just seconds prior. She looks at the leaf, it's golden color shining, the color slowly getting darker more towards the edges.

It had been a few months since she had started traveling with Rakan. They had made good time, and surprisingly Rakan kept up nicely with Xayahs quick pace.

Xayah sighs, standing up and looking around, taking a deep breath. She loved this. The nice breeze that occasionally passed through and the sound of the birds chirping, along with the occasional hum of some other insects that are scattered around the large forest. _The song of the forest _she thought to herself as she listened to the beautiful melodies. She loved getting time like this to relax, no matter how badly she wanted.. no _needed_ to keep moving.

A sudden change in the environment makes Xayah snap out of her daze, quickly glancing around, on high alert. The forest suddenly felt so empty, no more birds chirping or humming insects. This didn't feel right.

Not a second sooner a dagger was thrown her way, hitting a tree right beside her. She quickly jumped away as more daggers were thrown, some far off but others nearly hitting her.

There were 2 humans, one of them throwing the daggers while the other aimed at Xayah with a crossbow, loaded with a single bolt.

Hunters.

Xayah swept her feathered-cloak backwards, a trail of purple dust following as she quickly jumps forward, 2 daggers appearing between her fingers as she throws them, both hitting the arms of the human holding the crossbow, instantly making him drop it.

The human lets out a slight yelp, making a slight smirk appear on her face. She didn't exactly like violence, but it didn't bother her as much as it bothered Rakan. Plus, if she didn't deal with them now they would track her back to their camping grounds and more than likely plot an ambush.

Then her thoughts shifted.

Rakan.

Where the hell is he? He should be here helping her. She would be sure to scold him on that later, but right now she needed to concentrate on not getting herself hurt.

Just as Xayah was about to throw another set of feathered daggers at the two humans, Xayah was shielded by a familiar yellow dome. Xayah looks at Rakan, relief filling her as she realized she didn't need to fight alone. Before she can make another move, Rakan lets the barrier down and blinds the two humans with his feathers, making them take a step back. With the humans staggered slightly, Xayah takes the opportunity to make her way behind them.

* * *

Rakan was at their camp, trying to pack up their stuff since they would need to get moving again soon. Xayah had gone to explore, a suggestion made by Rakan while he packed up.

Rakan stood there for a second, thinking back to the first day he saw Xayah, hiding herself from the world. It may have only been a few months, but Rakan knew for sure that he would forever stay by her side, never leaving for longer than needed.

Thinking of it made his mind wander back to a month ago, when he made a promise to her.

* * *

_One month earlier_

Rakan was standing next to Xayah, one of his legs out in front of her, shielding her. Not even 2 minutes ago they were just resting and talking about their plans, Rakan finally getting Xayah to warm up to him very slightly, but not by much. During a conversation about their next location, there were faint whispers in the distance, instantly making the two go silent.

Humans.

Before they could even stand they were surrounded by at least 8 of them, all looking at them with smug smirks on their faces, holding knives and other weapons.

"Your feathers will make a great addition to our collection, although I can't say I've seen coloration quite like that before." One of the humans spoke, pointing a dagger towards Xayah.

The human turns his back for a second, probably to talk to the group that was all around him. A big mistake on his part.

In a blink of an eye, Xayah was already behind them, taking out 3 with just a few feather daggers, her outstanding accuracy hitting them straight on. Rakan quickly joined in, shielding her with a large yellow dome so nothing would hurt the Raven, and occasionally blinding the humans with a quick lift of his feathers into the light.

After about 4 minutes of fighting, all of the humans were laying on the forest floor, daggers in their chests and fearful looks on their faces. Rakan frowned, never liking the idea of death. Xayah on the other hand, had a disgusted look on her face, turning her back away from the sight. How dare they deserve their peace. They were asking for their brutal endings by doing so.

Rakan walked up to her, wrapping his arms around her waist, making her tense slightly but she slowly relaxed.

"What are you doing, Rakan?" Xayah asked, her voice empty of any emotion.

"Xayah.." Rakan whispers

"I promise to never leave your side, no matter what happens. I don't know if I could ever leave you. In these past few months, I have grown more of a connection with you than any other I have ever met. I devote myself to protecting you, Miella." Rakan continues, his voice in a serious tone.

Xayah was silent for a few minutes, just standing there, processing everything she just heard. She enjoyed having company with her, especially Rakan, but was she ready for this? For a lifetime partner? For a relationship? For a mate? She thought about it for a few more minutes, arguing with herself. She loved the way he held her on cold nights, the way he looked at her when they wake up. Xayah knew the answer to her thoughts, but she was hesitant.

What if he left her? What if he got bored of her or tired of their constant travels? Xayah refuses to stay in a single place for more than a month, always wanting to be on the move. Would he be willing to keep up with her fast pace forever? He had already been since they met, so she already knew the answer, but she couldn't help overthinking about it. Rakan was being patient, giving her time to think.

Xayah finally shook her head, making all of the negatives go away and focused on what was standing in front of her.

"Mieli.." Xayah responds, making a smile appear on Rakan's face. That's all he needed to hear to embrace her lovingly, more meaning behind it than what Xayah has ever felt before.

From that day forward, Rakan promised to protect Xayah with his life, and Xayah promised to do her best to accept her feelings towards Rakan.

* * *

Rakan entered reality again as he heard a yelp come from nearby. Rakan listened closely to his surroundings, the forest feeling empty. How did he not notice the shift of uneasiness in the air? Why didn't Xayah wake him from his mind? Wait..

Xayah.

Rakan ran towards where the yelp came from, seeing 2 humans in front of Xayah, her standing in a defensive position, one of the humans having a crossbow by his feet and his hands gripping onto two spots on his arms where two violet feathers are implanted in his skin, while the other looks at Xayah with hatred, daggers loaded in his hands.

Rakan quickly rushes in as the hunter with the daggers throws them, nearly hitting Xayah but being blocked by a glowing yellow dome that suddenly surrounds her. Xayah looks at Rakan, her eyes full of relief. Xayah started to dislike fighting alone since Rakan had started venturing with her. Before Xayah can make another move, Rakan lets down the shield, moving his feathers in the path of sunlight, blinding the two humans. Both of them stagger back, not expecting it. Rakan glances back at Xayah, who was looking at Rakan with stern eyes and signaling for him to block her so she could go up behind them.

Rakan jumps in the air, spinning and creating a gust of yellow dust under him, making the humans lift off of the ground into a hovering position before falling back down, landing hard on the ground, stunned with terrified looks on their faces.

One of the humans spot Xayah running behind them, quickly he begins to throw daggers towards her with shaking hands, fear leaving them in a state making them unable to focus correctly. Rakan doesn't pay much attention as he quickly kicks the crossbow to the side that was previously by the other humans feet, mainly so he could not retrieve it.

Xayah then jumps against a tree behind the humans, launching herself upwards and sending a batch of glowing feather daggers at both of the humans, hitting dead on and killing them instantly.

Once Xayah lands, Rakan quickly rushes over and spins her around in a swift movement, inspecting her to make sure she had no major injuries. Xayah pushes him back slightly.

"I'm fine, Rakan." Xayah says as she bends over slightly in pain, her hand instantly moving to cover a spot on the right side of her stomach.

Rakan quickly moves her hand, inspecting the dagger that was implanted into her skin, blood dripping from the wound. Rakan quickly picks her up gently, trying not to hurt her anymore than she already is and rushes towards a nearby river that they discovered when they set up camp nearby.

Rakan sets Xayah down on a rock and walks into the water, slowly holding his hand out towards her. Xayah hesitantly takes his hand, joining him in the water. Rakan gently washes the wound, taking the dagger out slowly as to not cause much more pain.

"Why didn't you tell me you got hit?" Rakan says as he continues to wash the wound, making sure no traces of poison or any harmful substances are present.

"Where were you?" Xayah asks, her eyes looking into his with a bit of disappointment.

"I'm sorry." Rakan says truthfully, a hint of sadness in his voice.

"Please, just.. never leave me again." Xayah says, pressing her head on his chest.

Rakan puts a hand on Xayah's cheek, gently rubbing his thumb against it as he smiles softly, nodding his head.

"Let me clean you up." Rakan says as he notices the slightly dirty and ridged feathers on her back.

Although they had been traveling for a while now, they had yet to groom each other. Usually one would clean themselves up while the other stood watch, but never had they bathed together yet.

Xayah slowly turns around, spreading her wing towards Rakan, letting him get access to it as she nods slightly.

Rakan smiles and slowly begins to start smoothing out her feathers, one by one, slowly running his fingers through them, getting out any ridges and dirt. Xayah closes her eyes, enjoying the feeling. Since her tribe vanished, she had been doing it all herself, not trusting anyone to accompany her to help.

Rakan continues to gently smooth her feathers, Xayah tensing slightly as he hits a blind spot, but not moving away and letting him continue.

Once Rakan is finished, he kisses the back of Xayah's head. "All done." He says as he turns himself around, offering for her to do him.

"Would you like to do mine?" He asks, Xayah turning back around without hesitation and begins doing what he had done to her.

Occasionally she would mess up a feather or two just so she could keep touching his soft, golden feathers. She always loved the color, it suited him well.

When Xayah hit his blind spot, Rakan didn't even tense. He shifted slightly, making her aware, but he didn't do much about it besides that. He trusted her.

Once Xayah was finished, she gently ran her hand down his back where his wings revealed skin, making Rakan shiver from the contact. Rakan quickly turned around and picked up Xayah with a quick movement, inspecting the wound from earlier. With a sigh of relief, it seemed to have stopped bleeding.

Rakan carries Xayah out of the river, setting her down as they are finally out of the water. Xayah smiles to herself as she looks at Rakan, a smile of his own plastered on his face.

Rakan begins to walk in front of Xayah, glancing back to see if she is following, which she does. They make their way back to their packed up camp and gather all of their things, Rakan carrying most of the things as he doesn't want to put too much pressure on Xayah with her wound.

Once again, they set off, side by side on to their destination. A human village that wasn't too far from where they were now thankfully.

Rakan glances at Xayah occasionally, seeing the focused look on her face as they continue to walk, eager to arrive. It had been nearly 3 weeks since their last destination, a human village more east from where they were currently traveling. They planned to meet up with a tribe that lived in the village to check up on them and make sure things were sorted and safe.

"So.. how about a nice dinner when we get there?" Rakan says, looking at Xayah.

Xayah just rolls her eyes but smiles and nods slightly, indicating that she would like that. It had been a while since the last time they just had time to themselves without the constant stress of traveling and nearby humans. This village was a ways away from any human villages, so they were both thankful about that and planned on having a day or two to just enjoy themselves.

However, both Xayah and Rakan knew that they couldn't stray from their path very long. They still needed to visit a few villages before snow fall, which would likely be happening within the next few months. Xayah didn't do good in the cold, but she never stopped moving no matter what, even if Rakan wanted desperately for her to rest.

After a few hours of walking and observing the forest around them, they come to the gates of a wooden and brick village, a village that held a tribe of Kiilash.

"Well, we're here." Rakan says, sending a glance towards Xayah.

"Yes, we are." Xayah responds, heading into the village.


	4. Rising Darkness

༺༻

_"Our Vastayan essence fades with each passing day."_

~ Xayah

༺༻

* * *

The second Xayah and Rakan stepped into the village, they knew something wasn't right. Everywhere they looked, it seemed as if the light had faded, like the energy of every thing around them was sucked away.

Xayah quickly rushed in front of Rakan, moving towards a large tavern in the center of the village, where the tribe leader lived. The people wandering around watched Xayah and Rakan with fearful expressions, making Xayah and Rakan more uneasy then they already were.

As Xayah entered the tavern, she was met with a pair of fearful yet somewhat relieved eyes.

"Xayah.." a weak, old voice said, coming from whoever owned the pair of eyes that started at Xayah, Rakan not yet making his way into the tavern, instead walking around and kindly questioning the villagers, only to be met with silence.

"Kikoh.." Xayah says, walking up to the frail Vastaya, looking over him.

"We were ambushed by these.. things. They weren't human, nor animal. They were like shadows.." Kikoh says, taking Xayah's hands and squeezing them.

"Do you know why they did this?" Xayah asks, looking at him, eyes full of confusion.

"They spoke in raspy voices that chilled me to my bones.. they said something about taking back what was theirs.." Kikoh says, fear filling every inch of his time as he does. "Please.. stop them.." he whispers and walks away, disappearing with distant eyes.

Just as he disappears, Rakan walks into the tavern, quickly rushing to Xayah as he sees her, confusion still filling her eyes.

"Xayah? Xayah what happened?" Rakan says worriedly, inspecting Xayah for any wounds.

Xayah thinks deeply about the things she had been told, processing every word, more and more anger growing as she does. Xayah quickly snaps out of her shocked state, eyes now full of anger and determination.

"We need to leave. Now." Xayah says sternly and walks out of the tavern, walking a lot faster than usual, leaving no time for Rakan to question her.

Rakan stands there, now being the shocked one, watching as Xayah rushes away. He quickly snaps out of his shocked state and rushes after Xayah.

"Wait, what? Xayah, what happened?" Rakan says, trying to keep up with her as she increases her speed. "You need to slow down, you're going to run out of energy faster if you keep moving like this." Rakan says, but Xayah just ignores him.

Rakan sighs.

Rakan quickly runs in front of Xayah, stopping her from going forward any further. He puts his hands on her cheeks and looks into her eyes. Rakan quickly embraces her, holding her tightly as she just stands there, her exhausted body trembling slightly.

Xayah has failed to rest much, if not at all, during the past few weeks. She had been focused on visiting the remaining village before snowfall, and when she dedicates herself to something, nothing stops her.

Except for Rakan.

Rakan always knew when Xayah was at her breaking point. He always forced her to stop and rest when she started to seem even the slightest bit tired. He worried terribly about her.

Rakan pulls away from Xayah and stares into her eyes. Rakan places a gentle kiss on the ravens forehead, squeezing her hand tightly.

"We can move to the next village that is about a day travel from here. When we reach that village, we are resting." Rakan says sternly.

Xayah quickly shakes her head and motions towards the village they were currently in.

"These people need us. They could get attacked again and things could be worst next time. We need to figure out what's going on here before we even think about resting." Xayah says, almost desperately.

Rakan hesitates, knowing that Xayah is more exhausted than she knows. Rakan can just feel like something is wrong. But she was right, they couldn't leave this poor village without at least trying to help them.

Reluctantly, Rakan nods which makes a sigh of relief sound from Xayah.

They head towards the nearby forest surrounding the village, trying to see if there are any trails that could help them with their search.

Before long, they come across a large field with dead grass, and instantly they knew they had found what they had been looking for. As soon as they took a step into the field they could feel the uneasiness in the air.

Towards the middle of the field, a pitch black object hovers above the grass, the show that it casts seeming too dark to be natural.

Xayah approaches the object, but before Rakan can pull her back a force hits her, throwing her back into Rakan, making the both of them collapse onto the ground.

Four shadows emerge from the object, seeming to absorb the light as they float in front of the object. Just by looking at them, a sharp chill goes through Xayah and Rakan, making the uneasiness intensify.

"What do you want from that poor village?" Rakan yells at the shadows, only to be answered with a slight humming.

"Give us.. what we.. desire.." the shadows all seem to say in harmony.

"What do you desire?" Xayah asks, confusion clear in her voice.

"Free..dom.." the shadows answer her, all four of them gently floating to the side to reveal the black object again.

Xayah takes a minute to think, then she nods and stands up. Rakan watches her, reaching out and grabbing her arm, but Xayah only smiles slightly at him, mouthing that it was okay which made Rakan reluctantly let go.

Xayah walks towards the shadows and the object, clenching her fist as three feather daggers appear between her fingers.

"Freedom my be what you seek, but destruction was highly uncalled for." Xayah says, eyes the shadows. They don't respond.

Xayah sighs and quickly stabs the object with her feathers, making it shatter like glass.

The shadows slowly begin to fade, and before long all that stood in their place was emptiness.

The grass in the field slowly came back to life, along with the forest beginning to sing its songs of thanks towards Xayah and Rakan.

They head back towards the village and meet up with the leader again, letting him know about what happened and that they were safe now. After a few thank yous from any villager that crossed their path, they begin to make their way towards another village, the one that Rakan had mentioned earlier.

"I love you, Miella. I know you don't like to stay in one spot for long, but you desperately need to rest." Rakan says, watching her with worried eyes. "I just want the best for us. For you." He says, using his other free hand to gently stroke a feather on her back.

Xayah shivers slightly as he does, enjoying the small amount of contact from Rakan. He never failed to make her feel better, even in the darkest of times.

"I love you too, Mieli." Xayah says, forgetting about all of their problems, just wanting to enjoy the free time they have as they make their way to the village.


	5. Love Birds

༺༻

_"Ah, silence, so golden. Like Rakan. Kind of miss him. Even if he is... noisy."_

~ Xayah

༺༻

It had been 3 long months since their encounter with the village that was drained of magic. Since then, they have been traveling, checking in with every village for anymore of the shadows.

Rakan had forced Xayah to take a few days away from their path to rest and just spend time together. It took a lot, but Xayah reluctantly agreed, making Rakan feel more relieved than he has been in the past few months. They were currently at a village full of all kinds of Vastaya, a place for the ones that liked to take on the dangers of traveling. It was kind of like a resting spot, but only for their kind.

Xayah had been the one to get them a room to rest in while they stayed. Knowing Xayah, they wouldn't be here for long before they started to move again, but Rakan took the free time that they had now to try and get closer to Xayah. They finally felt at peace for once since they had come upon that village, the thought of darkness spreading always stressing their minds. Rakan breathed a sigh of relief as he started up at the plain ceiling of the room they were currently in, noting the warm arms that wrapped around his waist.

When they first started to sleep beside eachother, Xayah would refuse to touch Rakan, and she refused to let him touch her. That always ended with his arms wrapped securely around her the next morning, and Xayah lecturing her about it, which only ever left him smiling and occasionally a slap to the face by the violet raven.

Rakan shook his head, snapping out of his thoughts as he glances down at the sleeping rebel wrapped around his waist. All Rakan could think about was how lucky he was to be her partner, her lover. Where they had occasionally teased eachother throughout the past few years, they had never actually fully mated. Rakan had wanted to multiple times, but they had always been interrupted or Xayah wasn't ready, which he respected. He always had the thought of maybe she would prefer to be married before they did anything extreme, but every time he had asked her, she would shoo him away and tell him that there wasn't time for marriage. He respected her wishes, but he also wanted her badly. He wanted to be able to prove his love for her. But thankfully, about a month ago she allowed it.

They were in a village far from where they currently were, getting information from anyone who was willing to give them any and to just make sure the village was safe. It started as a conversation, and then a dance. Rakan danced as an offer, seeing if she was willing to accept. Surprisingly, she did, and Rakan smiled brightly, swiftly lifting her in the air in a spin and then setting her down to continue their dance.

That night was all about them and their love for each other, and it was a night Rakan would never forget.

Rakan glances towards the single window in their room to his right, the moon shining slightly through it, being slightly covered by the curtains that were blocking its beautiful glow.

Xayah shuffles slightly in her sleep, her face scrunching up as if she is having a bad dream. This happens often, Xayah would hold in her feelings from the things she experiences and saves them for the dream land, or for when she is alone. Rakan would always try to get her to open up, but it never ended up working out for him.

Rakan gently runs his fingers through the ravens hair as he hums quietly and softly, soothing her bad dreams. The previous look on her face disappearing and becoming one of peace, which made a soft smile appear on the peacocks face. He continued doing this for hours, enjoying watching how peaceful she looked. He had slept for a while during the day so he wasn't as tired as Xayah, seeing as she rarely steeped to begin with. It calmed Rakan to see her so relaxed.

Morning soon approached, only being noticed by the sudden brightness coming from the widow in their room, spreading throughout it and lighting up every part that it could. Rakan slowly sat up, moving Xayah aside and walking towards the widow, opening it so the fresh morning air flowed into their room, a new spark of energy suddenly entering Rakan as he takes a deep breath of it.

Xayah slowly opened her eyes, blinking away the temptation to close them and fall back asleep. She slowly sat up and stretched, yawning as she looked at Rakan, watching him stare out the window as the people of the village began to wake, starting their morning routines. Xayah looked over Rakan, all the way from his messy morning hair to the end of his glowing golden-like feather cloak.

Rakan glances back at Xayah, smiling. He takes a bow, smirking as his hair falls in front of his face, blocking his vision. He quickly blows it away then looks back towards the raven, her hand covering her mouth as she tries to hide the smile on her face. She rolls her eyes as she stands up and makes her way over to the peacock, embracing him and resting her head on his chest, enjoying the warmth that radiated off of him.

"How long since we last danced?" Xayah says, looking into Rakan's eyes, a slight smile on her face.

"Too long." Rakan answers as he quickly picks Xayah up, holding her in the air for a few seconds before bringing her back down, twirling so that he bends her backwards slightly as she lands, him hovering over her as he smirks, making her smile.

Xayah then quickly spins them, their bodies moving on their own in perfect harmony, a silent song playing in their heads as they dance, smiles plastered on their faces. Rakan takes a quick second to land a gentle kiss on the ravens lips, making her cheeks tint a slight pink, also earning Rakan a slight glare as they continue their dance.

"This reminds me of the first time we danced." Rakan says, a soft smile on his face as he stares into the eyes of his soulmate.

Xayah hums in response, her eyes staring back into Rakan's as they continue to move in harmony, ignoring the slow rise of chatter going on outside of their widow as the village begins wake.

"We should do this more often." Xayah says, their dance slowly coming to an end as they both hold soft smiles on their faces.

"I agree." Rakan says as he leans over, placing a gentle yet passionate kiss on the violet ravens lips.


	6. An Unexpected Surprise

༺༻

"Magic is in the heart. Magic is in the rhythm."

~ Rakan

༺༻

It was a cold, calming day. It had been a week since Xayah and Rakan arrived in the village, and each day Rakan wanted nothing more than to settle down with Xayah here. It was so peaceful and everyone was so kind and vibrant.

Xayah on the other hand had some problems of her own. She had been feeling nauseous lately, especially around food. This morning wasn't any different, but as she sat up from a sleeping Rakan, her hand shot over her mouth and without thinking she ran into the restroom that was in their room, dropping down to the toilet and emptying the small dinner she had last night into it.

Once she only started to dry heave, she tried to calm herself down before she woke Rakan up, not wanting him to see her like this.

"Xayah?" A concerned voice said in the room on the other side of the bathroom door.

Too late.

Xayah managed to calm down her heaving, but she still sat there, throat burning and tears suddenly starting to form in her eyes. In seconds, Rakan was knelt down by her side, a hand gently rubbing her back as he looks at her worriedly.

"Miella, what happened? Are you sick?" Rakan asked, concern in his voice.

"I'm fine, I think I just sat up too fast when I woke up." Xayah says unknowingly. Truthfully, she has no idea why this happened or why she has been feeling so nauseous.

Rakan embraced her, holding her in an attempt to calm down her nerves, and it worked. Xayah sighed and leaned into him, enjoying his embrace as he planted multiple small kisses on her head and cheeks. Xayah chuckled slightly and pushed Rakan away, standing up as she does so.

Rakan quickly stands up before her and helps her to her feet, guiding her to their bed. She let him, feeling tired and worn out all of a sudden. As they reach the bed, Rakan helps Xayah get comfortable and then slides in next to her, wrapping her in his arms like he always does when they sleep.

"Let's take the day to just lay down. If you're getting sick, then it's best if you don't do too much to strain yourself or make it worse. We'll go see the village doctor tomorrow." Rakan says, making Xayah tense slightly.

"I don't need to see a doctor. I'll be fine, if it is a sickness then it will pas-" Xayah was cut off by a hand over her mouth, stopping her from speaking further.

"It wasn't an offer." Rakan said and Xayah rolled her eyes, not pushing the matter any further.

The truth was, Vastayan didn't get sick like humans. Their immune systems were much stronger and their magic usually prevented any small illness from attacking them. If a Vastaya got sick, then it was usually due to their magic being weak, which could be possibly as it felt like the magic in the air was getting weaker due to the darkness spreading around them.

Xayah closed her eyes, thinking about the possibilities of her being sick. She couldn't let a simple illness stop her, and she wouldn't let it stop her. She'll take today to rest, but tomorrow they will be back on their trail. It may take some convincing, but in the end Xayah always got her way when it came to Rakan.

Xayah wrapped her arms around her mates waist, slowly drifting off as he hummed softly to her, and before she knew it, they were both sound asleep.

•————————•

The next morning was the same as the previous. Xayah ran to the bathroom and emptied her stomach, but this time Rakan was there and held her hair back, rubbing her back and humming soft tunes to her to try and calm her.

After that, Xayah washed up and Rakan went out to make sure he could bring Xayah to the village doctor today. Xayah decided she needed some air, so she went outside and took a small walk around the village, getting some glances as she did, until she was stopped by a small Ophellis child, not much taller than a Yordle.

The child smiled up at Xayah and then glanced at her stomach, tilting their head and then poking it which startled Xayah, making her stumble back slightly. The child giggles and looks up at Xayah with curiosity in their eyes, and then they speak.

"You smell like mommy does!" The child yells out, a tint of red slowly making its way to Xayahs cheeks.

Suddenly a female Ophellis appeared behind the child, taking their hand and lecturing them about running off. She then glances at Xayah, a look of surprise in her eyes, but it then changes into curiosity.

"I apologize if Rus bothered you, he wanders every now and then and tends to get into trouble." She says as she gestures to the child.

That's when Xayah noticed the womans slightly swollen belly, and Xayahs eyes widened. It was rare for Vastayan to conceive, especially Xayahs kind. Usually life mates were able to, but most wouldn't want to bring a child into this world, not while darkness is spreading. Xayah offered the woman a small smile and shook her head.

"It's fine, he didn't cause any trouble at all." Xayah says truthfully.

The woman smiles and bows slightly and begins to walk away, but before she disappears into the crowd of Vastayan, the woman calls back at Xayah.

"Congratulations." The woman says as she disappears.

Xayah stood there confused, but then thought about it. The words of the child replayed in her mind. What did he mean by that? And why did she congratulate her?

Thats when it clicked.

Xayahs eyes widened and she rushed back to towards where her and Rakan were staying, only to see a frantic Rakan searching for her outside and calling her name until he spotted her. He quickly ran up to her and embraced her, his worry fading away.

"Where did you go, miella? I got so worried when I came back and you were gone." Rakan says, looking into the ravens eyes which were suddenly full of emotions, which never happened.

"Xayah? What's wrong?" Rakan questions as he puts both of his hands on her cheeks, making it so she's staring into her eyes.

"Rakan.." Xayah says, trailing off as she does.

Xayah takes a deep breath and let's it out in a shaky, worried breath.

"Rakan.. I think I'm pregnant."

•————————•

AYAYA!

Woahhhhh, what am I doing? Honestly, I don't know.

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, sorry it's so short.

I'll try and update this again ASAP, as I'm now out of school and on summer vacation. *cheers*

Until next time!


	7. The Ionian Healer

༺༻

"Dance like your life depends on it."

~ Xayah

༺༻

Rakan walked through the village as others began to wake to start their days. He had promised himself, and Xayah, that first thing in the morning he would go and set out in search for a doctor, as much has Xayah insisted him not to.

As he wandered, he asked around the small amount of others who began to crowd all sections of the village, determined to find someone who knew of a doctor either inside the village or somewhere nearby.

Rakan stumbled upon a group of younger vastaya, casually chatting to each other about what they should do with their day. Rakan politely interrupted once he felt the conversation was coming to an end and asked them, and to his excitement and relief, got an answer that he wanted to hear.

Not much later, Rakan arrived at an old cottage towards the East of the back of the village. Plants and flowers of all types were scattered around it, some glowing brightly with magic and others swaying ever so slightly with the occasional breeze.

Rakan took a deep breath and walked up to the cottage door, about to knock but quickly yanked his hand back as the door opened before him, a short, fuzzy bear-like creature appearing in front of him.

"Greetings, child. What may I help you with on this fine day?" The creature says in a somewhat deep yet welcoming tone.

Rakan stares in shock for a second but quickly shakes his head and bows, showing respect for the elder Vastaya.

"I apologize for the sudden intrusion, but I have heard that you are a doctor, specifically an Ionian healer." Rakan replies to the creature, still bowing.

"No need to bow, although the respect is much appreciated. Why don't you come in and tell me if your situation?" The creature asks, gesturing for Rakan to enter its home.

As Rakan walks inside, he takes in all of his surroundings. The cottage definitely had a nice, homey feel to it, a place that anyone would be willing to settle into. He glanced at the occasional pictures and the old antiques plastered on the walls and shelves.

As they reach what Rakan presumed to be the main room, the creature gestures for him to take a seat. Rakan examines the area, a fire place in the far back wall, lighting up a couch set nearby it and an old recliner, along with a somewhat large wood table placed neatly in the center on top of a small, tan rug.

Rakan walls over and takes a seat on the couch, moving to the far right of it closest to the nearby recliner. The creature takes a seat in the recliner and offers a kind smile to Rakan.

"My name is Iason, great healer of Ionia. I was once known for my knowledge in medicines and herbs before my tribe was slaughtered by a human village a few decades ago. I managed to escape and ended up here, where they gave me a home and treated me as an equal." Iason says, pushing up a pair of small glasses that were on his face.

"I see you are of the Lhotlan, and the infamous, charming battle-dancer at that. So may I ask again, what brings you to a village like this, or more specific, to a healer, Rakan?"

Rakans face showed shock as Iason mentioned his name. He knew he was popular within Ionia, but he wouldn't expect word of him to spread this far out of his tribe lands. Rakan thought for a few moments before he gathered the words that he had come here to say.

"My mate, Lhotlan like me, has been having very consistent episodes of dizziness and she has been throwing up the contents of her stomach often along side of some other problems." Rakan says, worry etched in his voice.

"I don't know what's wrong with her, and she continues to brush it off, saying it's just a stomach bug, but we don't get sick like that. It just worries me beyond belief."

Iason thinks for a moment, then reaches a hand out, placing it over the hands of the distressed Peacock, trying to calm his nerves.

"Bring her to me, and I will see what I can do." Iason says, offering Rakan a reassuring smile.

Rakan quickly stands up and looks at Iason, bowing once again even though he said it was unnecessary. Iason walks Rakan to the door and says his goodbyes, only for Rakan to promise to be back as soon as Xayah is up and about.

Without another look back, Rakan rushes to their cottage, determined to figure out what was wrong with his mate.


	8. Decisions

༺༻

I've been kicked around since I was born. It's alright! It's okay! I'm staying alive!

~ Rakan

༺༻

Xayah stares at Rakan, waiting for any reaction from him. A few minutes pass and she can tell he's deep in thought, and it starts to worry her. Will this effect their relationship? She doesn't know. They pledged themselves together, they're life mates, he won't just leave like that, will he?

Before Xayah can think anything worse, she is embraced into warm, familiar arms that bring her out of her thoughts. She looks up only to see a big smile on Rakans face, making all of her worries disappear.

"Really, miella? That's great news!" Rakan says, staring into her eyes.

It was rare nowadays for Vastaya to conceive, they rely on magic and with the magic around them fading, slowly they are as well.

Xayah smiles for a second, but then the smile fades as she grabs Rakans arm and pulls him towards their room, quickly shutting the door behind them as she does.

Rakan looks at Xayah confused, and then Xayah sighs, signaling towards the bed for Rakan to sit down, as she walks towards it and takes a seat herself.

Once they are both sitting, Xayah intertwines their hands together as she looks down at the floor.

"Our magic is fading. We have a mission to stop it from doing so. How will we be able to bring a child not only into a world with no magic, but a world of chaos as it is now?" Xayah says, a hint of sadness in her voice.

"Miella, look at me." Rakan says as he places his hands on the sides of her face and moves her head up so their eyes meet.

"We've accomplishes greater things. We've battled through the unknown and came out fine. We can do this. I know we can." Rakan says, a determined look in his eyes.

Xayah nods, Rakans hands falling from the sides of her face as Rakan stands up, only to hold a hand out in front of Xayah.

"Come. I have someone I want you to meet." Rakan says with a warm smile on his face.

Xayah takes his hand and they leave their room once more, heading towards the healer who Rakan promised to bring her to.

As they approach the healers home, Xayah observes the beautiful house that is in front of her. She wasn't one for flowers, but she couldn't lie, this was beautiful.

Rakan walls up to the door, Xayah right by his side and he knocks, only to be opened seconds later to reveal Iason, still in the same outfit as he was only a few hours before.

"Ah, Rakan. This must be the little lady you talked about. It's a pleasure to meet you. I am Iason." Iason says with a smile on his face.

"It's nice to meet you aswell, Iason. My name is Xayah, though I'm sure Rakan has already told you that." Xayah says as she looks up at Rakan for a split second, only to look back down towards Iason.

Iason chuckles slightly and then a warm smile appears on his face as he steps to the side, signaling for them to enter.

"Now why don't you two come in? I'm sure you have lots of questions. Oh, and also, congratulations." Iason says.

Xayah and Rakan both look stunned. They haven't even told him, how did he know?

"I could smell it." Iason says as he smiles, answering their question.

They nod, walking inside and Rakan leads Xayah over to where he was seated before, waiting until Xayah is sitting and comfortable before he takes a seat next to her.

Iason walks in, taking his original seat as he looks at the two, a slight smile always on his face.

"Now then, I won't be able to help much, since you'll need to see a doctor of your own kind in order to really get the specifics, and I'm only a healer so there's only so much I can do. But I can let you know the general things and such." Iason says, both Xayah and Rakans eyes on him.

Iason stands up and walks towards a desk towards the opposite side of the room and grabs a paper from the very bottom of a large stack. He makes his way back over to his chair and takes a seat.

"This here is a list of things you can and can't, or more so shouldn't, do. It varies between how far long you are." Iason says as he then hands the paper to Xayah, Rakan looking over at it as she holds it.

"First of all, you will need to watch what you eat. Certain foods can cause a lot of problems not only to you, but to the baby as well. All of the foods that you should and shouldn't eat are listed on that paper. Second, you will need to settle down on extreme physical activities such as intense fighting and risky situations. And lastly, you will need to rest a lot to ensure you have enough energy throughout the day. There is more listed on that paper, but it's things that you two can discuss together to come to an agreement." Iason says, watching as the two continue to look at the paper.

"Other than that, I suggest you see a doctor of your own kind as soon as possible. They'll be able to check and see if the baby is healthy and make an estimate for how far long you are." Iason says, standing up.

"I wish the two of you the best luck, and please come visit sometime in the future." Iason says, smiling towards the two as they stand when he does.

They say their goodbyes and leave, heading back towards their room, hands intertwined as they walk, the paper in Xayahs other hand.

This is the start of a long, and exhausting journey. It feels like how it felt when her and Rakan first started to battle together to save their people. Now they have another life to worry about while they do what they were brought together to do.

A/N

Sorry it's been so long since I've updated. I've had writers block and just ughhhhh. I'll definitely update more frequently from now on, and hopefully longer chapters as well. Also, new skin hype?!? Until next time!


	9. Dimming Magic

༺༻

_"I got freedom, I got a lady, I got a cause I'd die for. That's who I am."_

~ Rakan

༺༻

It had been a few months since their stay at the town and the discovery of their unborn hatchling. Xayah and Rakan have continued their journey, making a slight detour from their planned path so Xayah could see a doctor of their own kind.

On their travels, things started to become abnormal. There weren't as many wild animals as there usually were, which not only made for some suspicion, but also impacted them greatly, as their food had become more sparse.

Rakan also began to notice lack of energy in Xayah, which could be a result in the changes being made to fit with her upcoming months, but it still made Rakan worry greatly. The air seemed thin, and the forest seemed.. dull.

While Xayah slept at night, secure in their small hand-made tent, Rakan would sneak away and try to find food, usually only coming back with a few smaller animals and on a lucky day, some fish. Rakan would also get a bit curious and venture further than he knows he should be, which would more than likely result in a nice and long scolding from Xayah if she were to find out.

Rakans worry only grew as time went by, Xayah started sleeping more, which was extremely odd for her since she always wanted to be on the move to her next destination.

One night, while sitting outside of their tent while Xayah slept peacefully inside, Rakan watched the stars, and suddenly had a pull somewhere. He didn't know where, but as desperate as he was at this point in time, he followed it.

He soon stumbled across a field covered in dead grass and dead flowers of all kinds. In the center of the field, a large, dark crystal hovered on a small hill. Rakan slowly approached it, only to have little particles come from him and be absorbed into the strange crystal, which made Rakan stop.

It was collecting magic.

Without a second thought, Rakan used a small trick Xayah had taught him, turning a few of his feathers into shining daggers and hurling them towards the crystal, causing just enough force to shatter it.

Once it shatters, the pieces disappear into thin air and the field suddenly comes back to life. Chirps and chitters sounded all around him as the forest itself seemed to come to life again.

Rakan and Xayah had dealt with many of these crystals before, one of which almost took the life of Xayah during a brutal fight against the deadly Master of Shadows, Zed. This crystal was more than likely one of his, which would explain the feeling of their magic being drained.

With the crystal destroyed, Rakan quickly makes his way back to their resting location, only to be greeted by the furious eyes of a certain violet raven.

"Would you like to explain where you wandered off to without telling me?" Xayah asks, raising one of her eyebrows slightly, tempting him to lie to her.

Xayah was never one to question most of Rakans actions, she trusted him to take care of himself. But with the little one growing in her stomach, she has become more protective over Rakan and more sassy, which Rakan can't deny is kind of hot.

Shaking his head from any unwanted thoughts, Rakan gives off a cheeky smile and laughs slightly.

"I was watching the stars and randomly just had this pull to go somewhere. I followed it, and it took me to one of those crystal things that have been absorbing magic." Rakan says, Xayah slowly settling down as he explains himself.

"It kind of makes sense with how quiet the forest has been lately and how tired we've been. So I destroyed it and the forest pretty much instantly came back to life, as if nothing ever happened." Rakan finished, walking over to Xayah and wrapping his arms and wing around her, providing warmth.

Xayah nods and sighs. "You should've woken me up, I would have been more than happy to come with you. What if something bad happened?" Xayah says, getting a bit upset.

Rakan silences her by kissing her gently on her lips, all thoughts of worry vanishing from Xayahs mind as Rakan pulls away.

"Fine, but next time, at least let me know you're venturing off." Xayah says as she looks into her mates eyes, only to receive a nod from him.

They make their way back into their tent, Rakan laying down first, then Xayah slowly laying down to rest her head on his chest. Rakan wraps his arms and wing around her as she slowly drifts off to sleep once again, Rakan drifting off as well not long after her, and with that, they slept.

**A/N**

Hey guys! Sorry this chapter is so short, I'm writing this at 4:30am on a school night and just needed something to do to help my mind settle down. I'll be sure to make the next chapter extra long and detailed though.

Until next time!


	10. Seeking Comfort

༺༻

_"Can you feel the magic flowing? I can."_

~ Xayah

༺༻

* * *

Xayah woke up the next day feeling much better, even if she was still upset that Rakan ran off without her the night before. Xayah shifted where she was laying, only to notice the absence of her mate.

Xayah sat up, looking around their tent, Rakan still nowhere to be seen. Xayah crawls out of the tent, standing up and scanning the area, but there was still no sign of Rakan.

This made Xayah get a bit frustrated. He had promised to tell her when he wandered off, and Xayah held every promise very close to her heart.

Xayah began to wander slightly, searching for him. She was upset and getting frustrated when she can't find him. Where on earth could he have gone?

With Xayah starting to get tired, she retreats back to their camp. She sits outside of their tent, waiting for Rakan to return. After a while, she gets tired of sitting and goes to stand up.

Shuffling was heard from the right, and Rakan walked into view just as Xayah was getting up, giving off a slight smile, obvious that he was afraid what Xayah would say.

Xayah stares at him for a moment before she looks towards an opening in the woods, opposite from where Rakan was currently standing, waiting for Xayah to speak.

Without saying anything, Xayah starts running towards the opening with the little energy she had left in her.

"Xayah, wait! I can explain!" Rakan shouts to her, running after her.

Xayah continues to run, ignoring his shouts until she comes across an open field, stopping in the center, breathing heavily, Rakan not far behind.

"Xayah!" Rakan shouts as he enters the field, relief filling him as he sees she's stopped.

"How did that feel?" Xayah says, keeping her back facing him.

Rakan looks at her confused.

"What do you mean?" He asks.

Xayah let's put a huff, turning towards him.

"How did that feel? When I ran? It didn't feel good, did it? You worried and got upset, didn't you?" Xayah says, Rakan noticing her eyes, filling with slight tears as she yells at him.

"That's how I feel when you leave without telling me." Xayah says, looking at the ground.

Rakan slowly approaches her, pulling her close to him and wrapping his wing around her. He closes his eyes, feeling happy that she's alright, but also mad at himself that he upset her.

"I'm sorry, miella. I promised that I would tell you, but I didn't." He says, pulling away slightly and looking into her eyes.

"But I have my reasons for not telling you." Rakan says, still staring into her eyes as he continues to back away.

Rakan raises his wing, the bright sun reflecting from his feathers, a design appearing on the inside of his wing where the sun just barely shone through. Xayah looked at the design, tears filling her eyes once more as she quickly runs up to him, embracing him tightly.

"I have been doing this for a while, taking off and practicing. I wanted to tell you, but I couldn't, I didn't know how to." He says guiltily.

Xayah cuts him off by kissing him deeply on his lips, wrapping her arms around his neck. Rakan kissed her back, wrapping his wing around her once more and pulling her close. Xayah pulls away, keeping her arms around his neck as they stared into each others eyes.

On his inner wing, a design of a single one of his and hers feather sat beautifully in a deep violet and a golden-yellow.

"I understand. I'm sorry for running without thinking first." Xayah says, pressing her face into his chest.

Rakan doesn't respond, instead he picks Xayah up and carries her towards where their camp is set up, occasionally glancing down at her, only to see her eyes closed and her ear presses against his chest, probably listening to his heartbeat.

Once they reach their camp, Rakan crawls inside of their text and lays Xayah down. She opens her eyes, smiling slightly at Rakan as she yawns, a wave of tiredness hitting her but not as bad as the previous ones. She's getting her magic back.

"Miella." Rakan says as he gently cradles her cheek in his hand.

"Yes, mieli?" Xayah asks.

"Marry me." Rakan says wholeheartedly, a determined look in his eyes.

Xayah thinks for a moment, then sighs, but smiles slightly.

"Not today, ask me again tomorrow." Xayah says, and Rakan nods in understanding.

He will definitely ask her again tomorrow, and every day until she says yes.


	11. Wintery Wisdom

༺༻

_You know, I ain't really about making fun of people, but you... make that difficult._

~ Rakan

༺༻

The winter wind blew viciously outside, snow intertwined with it as it struck the cave where Xayah and Rakan took shelter.

It was late winter, the time where snow storms were at their worst, the bitter cold winds and stinging of the snow under their feet making it unfit for them to journey far, especially with Xayah carrying their child. It would take weeks to make even the slightest bit of progress, so they decided to take shelter until this harsh weather passed, which was usually around early-mid spring. The second the snow started to melt they would make their way to the borders of Ionia, which from there they would travel towards a Lhotlan tribe that was deep within the forests.

Xayah was sitting in the large cave they took shelter in as she watched the flutter of golden feathers walk towards a large stack of wood, pushing some aside so he could make his way out and then closing it back up. They had made a barrier between them and the snow by using fallen trees and splitting them to fit in a stack, blocking the snow from their view. It didn't keep the cold out, but it helped in making the snow and winds unable to reach them, allowing them to make small fires to huddle by, assisting in keeping them warm.

Rakan would usually go and hunt for them, as spending months in a cave definitely leaves them scarce on food supplies. Xayah would always offer to join, but Rakan would always tell her to stay in the cave and keep warm, so Xayah insisted that Rakan should take a woven cloak that Xayah had received from a kind lady in a village a few months back. She noticed Xayahs state and offered it as a way to help stay warm throughout the upcoming cold weather. He accepted the cloak and threw it over his shoulders each time before he vanished from her view. It reassured Xayah that he wouldn't freeze, which lessened the worry that was always in the back of her mind when he would go out into the vicious cold.

Rakan would usually scout the nearby area, testing to see how deep the snow had piled up since his previous outing, and then as quietly as possible, he would venture the nearby land to search for their next meal. Occasionally Rakan would come across some travelers, ones making their way towards villages with wagons or on horses with gear to protect them from the blinding snow. When he would find them, he would offer a performance or some help with anything they needed for any food they would offer. They were usually reluctant, but when Rakan would mention that he had a pregnant mate that he needed to feed they would take up on his offer.

Today seemed to be his lucky day, seeing a group of travelers on horses with large sacks attached to their sides, which all who were followed by a large wagon being pulled by an even larger horse.

As they spotted the bright sparkle of Rakans feathers within the endless white scenery, they came to a halt and jumped down from their horses, leading them to a nearby tree with branches sticking out slightly, acting perfectly for a place to lead their horses.

Once all of the horses are leaded to a branch, the travelers cautiously make their way towards Rakan, letting down their guard slightly as they get full view of him. Rakan was known well in these lands, but he had been making less of an appearance in his more consistent villages since he had received the news of Xayahs pregnancy. He had been dedicating himself to protecting her and his unborn child.

A familiar face stuck out among the group of travelers, making Rakans serious face turn into a slick grin.

"Hold on a minute, Rakan, is that you?" A voice from the group said, it coming from a light haired merchant who seemed to be decently young for this type of travel.

At that voice, Rakan let out a chuckle.

"Ezreal, it's nice to cross paths again." Rakan says as he steps closer to the blonde who was a few feet away from him.

Ezreal was a local merchant in a nearby village, not to far from where they currently were. Rakan had been performing there one day, the beautiful designs of the building having caught his attention. After his performance Ezreal came up and complimented him on an amazing show, and offered him a drink, to which Rakan couldn't refuse. They talked all night and joked around, and would always do this whenever Rakan would make an appearance in the village.

"It's been a few years, why haven't you come to visit the village? It used to be a consistent thing, was it not?" Ezreal asked curiously.

Rakan smiles, motioning towards the group of travelers that were with Ezreal.

"I'd explain, but it seems as if you have something to do." Rakan says.

Ezreal shoots Rakan a smirk and nods, telling the others to prepare their horses.

"Well then, why don't you come to the village for a bit so we can catch up? It's not very far from here and the weather seems to have calmed down enough for decent travel. You could even use a room in my shop to rest until this weather passes. We could use some entertainment around the shop and I'm sure a place to rest and free food is a good deal." Ezreal offers, holding his hand out to Rakan.

Rakan is reluctant, thinking of how Ezreal will react when he sees Xayah, but he takes his hand and shakes it, making a deal.

"Alright, I'll be in the village by sunset. I'll meet you in the shop?" Rakan asks.

"Sounds like a plan." Ezreal replies.

After a few more jokes and laughs, Rakan waves off Ezreal as they part ways, Ezreal waving back as him and his group disappear into the trees.

Rakan makes his way back to the cave and moves the wood barrier over slightly so he can get inside, the slight glow of a fire and the feeling of warmth embracing him as he steps inside and pulls the wood back in place.

As he approaches Xayah, he notices her huddled near the fire, wrapped in a few layers of fur blankets. She was sleeping soundly, the slight rise of her chest every few seconds brining a slight smile to Rakans face.

Rakan walks around, gathering their stuff and packing it up, only leaving the blankets that were wrapped around Xayah out. Rakan quietly puts the large bag that their stuff is stored in on his back and leans down to pick up Xayah, only for her to shift ever so slightly and have a pair of piercing yellow eyes staring straight into his own blue eyes.

"What's going on? Did you not find anything?" Xayah asks, concern filling her voice.

"Calm down, miella. I met with a group of travelers and an old friend of mine was with them. He offered a place to stay and food for performances until the winter has passed." Rakan says, caressing Xayahs cheek.

Xayah looks confused for another moment, but tiredness takes over and she nods lazily, a slight yawn escaping her mouth as she slowly sits up, then stands. She wraps the fur blankets around her tightly so they don't drag on the ground, the blankets cradling her bump, making it stick out more than she would like. She makes her way over to Rakan and they walk over to the wood barrier, moving it completely to the side but leaving it in case someone needed to use the cave for shelter.

Once they are outside, Rakan pulls Xayah close to his side, offering her as much warmth as he could give. With that, they slowly begin their journey to the village.

༺༻

They arrive at the village just before the sun begins to set. With warm welcomes towards both of them and some excited cheers from a few of Rakans fans, they make their way towards Ezreals shop.

Eventually, a decently large wooden building appears on the sides of one of the main pathways throughout the village. There was a large wooden sign hanging towards the roof with the words 'Ezreals Antiques' carved into it.

They walk inside and they are instantly met with a bell going off and the smell of wood mixed a bit of vanilla. It was a welcoming scent, and the interior of the shop was very well kept. Various shelves littered the entirety of the front room with various antique and accessories placed neatly on them. Towards the back of the shop, a large glass case sat with gems and hand carved knives lined inside of it, all on display with various prices on them that ranged depending on detail on it.

While looking around, shuffling could be heard coming from a door behind the glass case, and it opened to reveal Ezreal with a box full of different types of wood.

"I'll be with you in one second." Ezreal says, walking backwards with the box and setting it on a small wooden shelf that was a few feet away from the door he came through.

Ezreal turns around, a smile on his face as he notices Rakan, but then a curious look on his face once he notices Xayah.

"Well hello again Rakan and miss.." Ezreal says, not knowing Xayahs name.

Xayah is about to answer Ezreal but Rakan speaks before she gets the chance to.

"Ezreal, this is my mate, Xayah. I was out in the forest because we were taking shelter in a cave while the crazy weather passes and I was out looking for something to cook us to eat. Xayah is currently pregnant so she can't strain herself much." Rakan says as he keeps an arm around Xayah in a protective way.

Ezreal nods, a smile now on his face again.

"Well it's nice to meet you, Xayah. I hope what I have to offer is good enough until this weather passes." Ezreal says and motions towards the door he previously came through, walking towards it.

Xayah and Rakan follow Ezreal into a short hallway, with 2 doors on either side of the hall. Ezreal leads them into the room in the far left corner, and inside a decently sized room with a single bed, dresser, stand, and light sat neatly.

"This is my old room, but I recently moved into the room across the hall so you guys can take this one. I'll leave you two to get comfortable, let me know if you need anything. Dinner will be in about an hour and Rakan we can discuss things after dinner." Ezreal says as he smiles and leaves the two birds, closing the door as he walks out.

Xayah sits on the bed, pulling the fur blankets tightly to her as she lets out a slight sigh, shivering slightly. Rakan notices the shiver and he quickly sits next to her, pulling her into his arms and gathering the blankets that were on the stand, wrapping them around Xayah.

"We need to get you warmed up. It was a pretty harsh trip for your condition." Rakan says as he closes his eyes, pulling Xayah closer to him and wrapping his wing around her, his feathers glowing slightly as he hums something.

Xayah begins to feel warm, and before long she finds herself slowly drifting off to sleep, Rakan standing up and gently laying her down on the bed. He'd let her sleep for a while before they had to go eat dinner, Xayah was probably hungry.

Rakan takes a minute to look around the room, thankful that he had met Ezreal and he had offered to let them stay here. He didn't want Xayah to be cold at night the way she would be when they were in the cave. Rakan couldn't use much of his energy to warm her up, he had to save it for getting their food and make sure no winter hunters came upon them and wanted to pick a fight.

With a few more glances around the room, Rakan lays down beside Xayah, relaxing as he holds her close. It wouldn't hurt to relax while he waits for dinner to be ready, right?


	12. Warm Embrace

༺༻

_"Rebellions thrive on intelligence."_

~ Xayah

༺༻

It wasn't long after the two birds had fallen asleep when they were awoken by Ezreal. He politely knocked on their door, Rakan answering to be met with the young man rubbing the back of his head and apologizing, saying he overcooked dinner and that they were going to go to a nearby diner to eat, his treat.

With a smirk and a quick sarcastic 'nice job' from Rakan, he walks over to Xayah and gently wakes her up, letting her know as Ezreal wanders off to get himself ready.

*

After a few more minutes, they make their way to the diner. It was a small building about a 10 minute walk from Ezreals shop. Windows were all around it and 'Sunny Diner' was painted on the glass in large letters next to the door.

When they enter, they are instantly hit with a variety of smells, and on instinct both Xayah and Rakan smell the air with smiles on their faces. It had been a long time since they last ate in a diner.

Ezreal leads them to a nearby booth, sitting down on one side while Xayah and Rakan sit on the other.

They chat for a bit, getting odd glances from the people seated around them, making Xayah slightly uncomfortable and making Rakan pull Xayah closer to him instinctively.

"You know, usually I would just ask you to leave but I'm going to be nice and offer you all to stop staring. I know they're cute but I'd prefer my customers comfortable." A soft voice says suddenly.

Xayah and Rakan glance towards the direction the voice was coming from and see a short girl with blonde hair, just like Ezreals, standing near a pair of double doors. She sends a soft smile towards the two birds and makes her way over to them.

"I apologize for the rudeness of some of these people." The girl says as she approaches, "My name is Luxanna, but you can just call me Lux. I'm the owner of this diner and a light mage, and I see you've already met my brother." Lux says, gesturing towards Ezreal.

Ezreal lets out an annoyed huff but looks at his sister, "Thank you for stopping everyone from staring." Ezreal says, causing Xayah and Rakan to nod in agreement.

She nods happily but then looks towards the two birds, smiling once more, "So what's your names? I've seen goldie over there around town performing but I don't think I've seen you around." Lux says as she looks at Xayah.

Xayah just smiles, knowing Rakan will tell her. He was always the one to introduce them, he seemed to love doing it.

"I'm Rakan, and this is my mate Xayah." Rakan says, smiling at Lux which makes the girls eyes light up.

"Awww, you don't see Vastayan mates around here much, it's a nice sight." Lux says and giggles.

This earns a smile from Xayah, and Lux takes the time to let her eyes wander and then a sudden gasp emits from her lips.

"Oh! Congratulations!" Lux says as her face seems to light up.

A slight blush appears on Xayahs face and she mutters a quiet 'thanks'.

After a few moments of awkward silence, Lux giggles and talks again.

"May I speak to your mate for a second?" Lux asks Rakan, only to earn a curious glance from Rakan but he hesitantly nods.

Rakan moves so he's sitting next to Ezreal and Lux takes a seat next to Xayah, offering her a kind smile to try and lighten Xayahs nerves. Thankful, it worked and Xayah offered a smile back to Lux.

They get lose in conversation for a bit, Lux giving Xayah some pregnancy and childcare tips and Ezreal telling Rakan when and where he'll start performing. They take a short break when a brown-haired female comes by introduces herself as their waiter, Belle. Belle takes their orders, letting them know their food will be out shortly. When Belle leaves, they continue their conversations.

Once their food arrives, Lux gets up and smiles, telling them to enjoy, and to stop by again soon. But before Lux can leave Xayah stops her by quickly grabbing her arm.

"I'm sorry for grabbing you so suddenly, but Lux, how do you know so much about this?" Xayah questions, only to receive a smile from Lux.

"Well, you see-" Lux is about to answer but is interrupted by a loud 'bang' coming from the kitchen, sounding like a pan falling.

Suddenly, a small girl with white hair runs out from the kitchen, giggling loudly. Right behind her, a tall reddish-chestnut haired women runs after the little girl, an annoyed expression on her face.

"Mommy!" The little girl yells, quickly running behind Lux, "I was playing chef and mom yelled at me for climbing on one of the counters to get a hanging pan and I accidentally dropped it." the little girl says and pouts, only to get a sigh in response from Lux.

"Riven! Get over here now! Don't use your mother as a shield!" The woman yells, walking over to Lux and the white haired little girl.

Lux offers the woman a slight smile, "She was just trying to play, calm down honey." Lux says, only for the woman to respond with 'she could have gotten hurt' and 'she needs to ask before doing stuff like that'.

Lux shakes her head and sighs, kneeling down and looking into the little girls eyes.

"Riven, please ask me or your mother next time when you want something high up like that, okay? We don't want you getting hurt." Lux says to the little girl calmly, the little girl replying with a nod.

Lux stands back up and picks Riven up, turning back towards Xayah, Rakan, and Ezreal.

"Xayah, Rakan. This is my wife Leona, and our adopted daughter Riven." Lux says, gesturing towards the woman and the little girl in her arms.

Xayah and Rakan nod in understanding, a smile on their faces as Xayahs earlier question is now answered.

"I'm sorry for any disturbance, I hope you enjoy your food." Leona says to all of them, offering them a smile before forcing Lux to come with her into the kitchen, still having Riven in her arms.

Xayah lets out a slight giggle and soon their table erupts in quiet laughter as they all begin to eat, enjoying their delicious dinner.

A while later, they finish and walk up to the front of the diner and say their goodbyes to Lux and Leona, only for little Riven to come up to Xayah, holding a small piece of paper out to her with a big smile on her face.

"Miss bird lady, I drew you a picture! I'm sorry if I disturbed you and mister bird man while you were eating. I'm sorry too Uncle Ezreal." Riven says to Xayah who takes the paper from the girl as she then turning towards Ezreal as she apologizes to her, only for Ezreal to lift her up and ruffle her hair, causing Riven to giggle loudly.

Ezreal puts Riven down after a minute and they leave the diner after one more set of goodbyes, only to notice that it was snowing, the pathways of the village covered in a blanket of white. It was dark out now and the only light came from the tall path lights that lit up dimly.

They walk back to Ezreals shop in a comfortable silence, Xayah and Rakan hand-in-hand and Ezreal taking in the sight of the snow.

Once they get back to Ezreals shop, they all say goodnight to each other and retreat to their rooms, closing their doors.

Xayah instantly takes off the cloak that was on her and sits on the bed, wrapping whatever blankets she can around her as she shivers from the cold. Rakan notices and he makes his way over to her, sitting next to her and embracing her to try and warm her up faster.

After a few minutes, Xayah stops shaking and they both lay down, Xayahs head resting on Rakans chest as Rakan holds her close to him.

"So, what did Riven draw for you?" Rakan questions, curiosity getting the best of him.

Xayah smiles slightly and reaches into a small patch on her dress that was usually covered by her wing and takes out the small paper the little girl had given to her.

Drawn on the paper was two birds, a purple one and a yellow one which Xayah and Rakan quickly figured out that the birds were them. But what made both Xayah and Rakans hearts warm was the small baby bird in the middle of the two larger birds, half purple and half yellow wrapped in the wings of the other two birds. In messy writing at the bottom, the words 'Congratulations' was written in black.

Xayah and Rakan laugh quietly, both knowing that little Riven more than likely asked for help on how to spell the word. Xayah held the drawing close to her chest and let out a silent sigh, closing her eyes.

Maybe things won't be as bad as she thought.


	13. Forming Bonds

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_"If you aren't a little frightened, you ain't alive."_

~ Rakan

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***!!!Important!!!***

Hi guys! Once you're done reading, please be sure to check out the note at the end of the story. This is kind of just a filler chapter while I write out a decently long one so it's nothing too exciting but I still hope you enjoy. Thanks!

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It had been a few weeks since Xayah and Rakan had taken shelter under Ezreals care. The snow was more persistent and coated the lands around them in a blanket so white that if you stared at it for too long you could possibly go blind. Rakan had begun working for Ezreal, putting on performances in front of Ezreals shop to attract more people, while Xayah surprisingly used her free-time to help out Lux and Leona by watching their daughter.

Xayah had grown a bond with the little white haired girl, and before long the little girl would be spending most of the days with Xayah either inside of her small room or exploring the village together. Riven would always jump with joy whenever one of her mothers would take her to Xayah, and the two young parents were always relieved to have somewhere for her to go inside of being cooped up inside of the diner while they worked.

It was a decently chilly day today, so Xayah and Riven put on extra clothing to keep them warm as they had planned to go and look around the village. It was one of Rivens favorite things to do with Xayah, especially since she got to play in the snow while they walked and got to meet some other children in the village. Unfortunately, most of the children were uninterested in Riven due to the fact that she had grown up in Noxus, a powerful empire with a fearsome reputation. Many children were warned with gruesome stories about the place to keep them away from it, so Riven was often avoided by most.

However, there was one little boy who had also grown up in Noxus, the same situation with him as Riven. Adopted from the orphanage there and taken into the loving home of, in the little boys case, a mother and father. The little boy was very distant with people, but once he heard of Rivens stories he became interested and so a strong friendship has forged between the two.

"Would you like to stop by and say hello to Talon, Riven?" Xayah asked the white haired girl who was currently running in the snow.

At the mention of his name, Riven quickly jump up excitedly, yelling a loud "Yeah!" as she fist-bumped the air.

Xayah smiled at this and began to follow the village path that led to Talons home, a small cabin within the mix of various other cabins. However, his stood out more than any other, as a Noxian flag hung from a wire that stood tall in their small patch of land. One of Talons parents, more specifically his mother, was also Noxian.

Talons mother, previous matron of the Black Rose, stood at a decent height with pale complexion, always held a look that no one could perceive. Just being in the presence of the women would often make people uneasy, although deep down Xayah knew that she was a kind soul and hates the things her past defines her as today. Xayah knows this because over time, she had become close with the strange woman, often sharing stories with each other while Talon and Riven would play.

As Xayah and Riven approached the cabin, before they could even knock the door was swung open and Riven was knocked to the ground, a small hump of grey on top of her.

"Got you!" Talon yells out, causing laughter to erupt between the two.

"Alright Talon, get off of Riven. You two go play for a minute, I have something I would like to talk to Xayah about." A firm, yet gentle voice speaks, stepping into view of the door.

Riven looks up at Xayah for confirmation, and with a nod Riven and Talon run into the house, probably going to play with some toys that Talon has.

Xayah walks inside of the house, thanking the mother of Talon for letting her in and taking a seat in the usual chair she would sit in when they would have conversations.

"What did you need to talk about, LeBlanc?" Xayah asks, glancing at the women who now has taken a seat in a chair in front of Xayah.

The women smiles, and then begins to say, "I just wanted to see how you were doing. You're quite far along now, aren't you?" LeBlanc asks, gesturing towards the now obnoxiously obvious bump that protruded from Xayahs stomach.

Xayah nods, "I suppose. Things have been alright so far, but I've been getting some back pains lately which has been pretty annoying." Xayah replies, a slight sigh escaping her lips as she finishes.

LeBlanc sends Xayah and sad smile, putting a hand on her shoulder and squeezing slightly, "I know it can be frustrating sometimes, but you've got this. Before you know it, your little bird will be in your arms and you'll cherish every moment of it." LeBlanc says.

With another squeeze and a thankful smile from Xayah, the two stand.

"Riven, it's time to go! We need to stop and get some things for your mothers before it gets too dark out." Xayah calls, loud footsteps sounding not long after.

Riven runs into the room with Talon behind her, and with a quick hug Riven runs towards Xayah, more than likely excited to tell Talon and her had done. LeBlanc gives Xayah a quick hug and they head out, waving goodbye as they enter the freezing winds once more.

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Hi guys! Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Don't worry, there's still a lot to come, but I have some things I would like to say.

First off, I need gender and name suggestions!

Would you like Xayah to have a girl, a boy, or maybe even twins? 

Please comment on this chapter which gender, and a name to go along with it. (Definitely comment more than one if you would like)

Thank you, and I hope you guys stick around for future updates!

༺༻


	14. Back on the Trail

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_"A Vastayan feather is a kingly gift."_

~ Xayah

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The snow was beginning to melt as early spring arrived. Birds began to chirp again and plants began to sprout. It had been a fierce winter, but that was expected. For a majority of it they were trapped inside, barricaded by the snow and fierce weather that came along with it. Rakan had made Xayah rest for most of the winter, making sure she was as healthy as possible before they got back on the trail.

Xayah and Rakan were making plans to get moving again and travel to Rakans tribe. It would be about a months journey to reach the outskirts of their land, but after that they had to rely on Rakans senses to guide them the rest of the way as his tribe would be returning from their winter relocation. There was still a possibility that they wouldn't be back yet, but Rakan could still catch the scent of their village once they get on tribe lands.

The thought of traveling again made a feeling of excitement rush through Xayah. She didn't like to stay in one place for long, and she knew Rakan was probably about ready to go as well. This place is nice, but it wasn't time for Xayah and Rakan to settle down yet, not with all of the darkness that is continuing to spread day by day.

Unfortunately, with having to travel once more means goodbyes needed to be said.

Ezreal had left about a week ago to begin his travels, trading things he didn't sell the previous year for newer things that would hopefully grab the attention of others and persuade them to buy whatever it was.

They had said their goodbyes before he left, fully knowing that they would not be there when his first round of travel was complete. Usually for him they would last a month or two, sometimes longer. Xayah and Rakan had planned to be heading out the fourth week of spring, which was fast approaching.

They had also visited Lux, Leona, and little Riven who was growing taller by the day. Rivens birthday was last month, so Xayah and Rakan obviously attended the small get-together their village had for the growing young girl, even though they didn't know much about the event since their kind doesn't celebrate their age.

Xayah and Rakan had given her one of each of their feathers as a gift, which was extremely rare for Vastayan to do, especially with humans. They would only ever exchange feathers with their mates, and sometimes give them to family. Usually a human would only ever come ahold of a feather was by forcefully taking it by trapping or even killing.

However, a distinguishing feature to tell if it was given or taken, is that if you are given a feather, the magic remains with it and it shines bright, but if it's taken then it will be dull and have no trace of magic within it.

So, when Xayah and Rakan plucked a feather from each of their wings, everyone was shocked. Especially when they presented them to little Riven, whose eyes lit up as she took both violet and gold feathers. Riven had hugged them and thanked them, along with Lux and Leona. It was always an honor to receive a given feather, a showing of true compassion and acceptance.

But it was also that day when they had told the small family that they would be leaving soon. It was a sad day for all of them, Riven begged them not to go. But when Xayah told little Riven that they would come back when their little bird arrived it turned her sadness into excitement. She agreed to be good until they returned with a new friend for her.

Lux and Leona had given Xayah and Rakan a large supply of food for their travels, making sure that they wouldn't run out before they reached their location and even after that. Xayah and Rakan thanked them and they all exchanged hugs and goodbyes once more.

A few days after Rivens birthday, Xayah had made the short trip to LeBlancs house, having a long chat with her and informing her that they would be leaving. Although not showing it, Xayah knew that LeBlanc was sad about the news, but she also knew that LeBlanc already knew that they would leave eventually.

"Be sure to take care of yourself and your little one. Once you come back here to visit I definitely want to see the two of you." LeBlanc had said as she escorted Xayah out, and with one final goodbye Xayah made her way back to Rakan who was in their room mapping their route.

It was the end of the third week of spring so they would be leaving within the next few days, which meant that they needed to get their final plans finished and gather all of their things.

Rakan had mapped out the basic trail to his tribe, and much to Xayahs surprise it seemed to only be a week travel from where they were.

"This is only when we'll reach the tribe lands. There's no telling how far they will be when we get there. If they're not there then I know that I'll definitely be able to pick up scent of the village." Rakan said, still fixated on the map as he spoke.

Xayah hummed in reply, gently tracing circles on Rakans shoulder as she leans in and gives him a gentle kiss on the cheek.

"When will we be leaving?" Xayah asks, eyes the map that had a lot of marking on it.

"Tomorrow morning. We have everything packed and I only have a few more things to add to the map. Go get some rest and I'll join you in a few minutes, alright?" Rakan replies, taking his eyes off of the map as he looks into his mates eyes.

Xayah nods and makes her way over to their bed, pulling the covers over her as she snuggles into the plush softness one last time until they sleep on stacks of animal fur once again.


	15. Golden Tribelands

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_"My fellow travelers, you are all about to witness my majestic epicness! ... unless I get killed, but... probably not!"_

~Rakan

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It was pretty obvious when we reached the Lhotlan tribe lands, as instantly both Rakan and I felt a sense of peace wash over us. It was as if a large amount of stress was lifted off of our shoulders instantaneously.

I also noticed that as soon as we began to near the center of the tribe lands, Rakan started to quicken his pace and his song became rapidly impatient. We were definitely getting close.

Eventually, we had arrived onto a large chunk of land littered with handmade tent-homes that gathered in a somewhat half circle, each decorated in their own assortment of crafts and feathers. The tents had multiple layers and were made of an extremely thick material, thick enough for even one of Xayah'z quills to be unable to puncture it. There were decently tall hand-carved wooden doors as the entrance to the tents, each one with a handle and a key hole on it. The tents were evenly spread apart on two sides, separated by a larger, thicker tent in the center of them, which Xayah assumed to be where the ancestors stayed. Poles stuck out from the dirt in front of every tent, unlit candles on the top of all of them.

In the center of the area, a large stage sat with three rows of long, hand-carved wooden tables lined on either side. Longer, thicker poles stuck out from the dirt around the stage, spread a few feet apart from each other as little lanterns hung from dangling rope in between them, the ends of the rope looped around a hole in the top of each pole. No candles were in the lanterns, so Xayah had assumed that they gathered fireflies to put in them and release them after their gatherings were over, something her tribe had used to do.

"Aha! Here it is!" Xayah was pulled from her trance as Rakan calls out and pops up from one of the tents, a small silver key in his hand.

Xayah walks towards Rakan, still taking in her surroundings as she does so. It truly was a beautiful place, especially since the trees were growing their leaves back and flowers were beginning to bloom in the patches of grass that were spread around. It kind of gave her goosebumps from how familiar it was to her own tribe lands, at least the scenery.

Rakan seemed to catch on to how lost in thought Xayah was, and decided to step in.

"Honey, are you alright? Is something bothering you?" Rakan piped in, leaping towards Xayah and quickly taking her hands into his own.

Xayah looks up at Rakan and smiles, nodding her head.

"I'm fine, it's just odd seeing all of this. It brings back a lot of memories." Xayah says, her smile turning downwards slightly as she finishes.

Rakan gently embraces her, squeezing her slightly then pulling away and gripping her hands.

"Well.. it seems like my tribe isn't back yet, so we can sleep in the ancestors tent until then." Rakan says, pulling his hands away and swinging the key he had previously found in his hand and motioning towards the large tent.

Xayah looks at the key and then at the tent, a cautious expression on her face.

"Are you sure that's alright? I mean.. that's the ancestors tent, isn't it? It's been a while but I know for a fact that no one is allowed to stay in the ancestors tent." Xayah says with an uncertain tone.

Rakan smirks as he throws the key into the air and then catches it, making his way towards the tent.

"Trust me, its _fine_." Rakan answers swiftly.

Xayah reluctantly follows him with a sigh, a hand gently caressing her stomach as she did so.

What was Rakan getting them into?

**A/N**

Hey guys! Sorry for the short chapter, and how long it's taken me to update, but there will be an update out again super soon. Didn't want to make you guys wait any longer and the next chapter will be pretty long, so keep a look out!

Until next time!~


	16. Important Authors Note

Heeey guys.

So I've decided to stop updating this story on here for now, since it's such a haste to do and publishing this on three different websites is a bit much.

If you would like to continue reading this story, I will be posting all of my updates on AO3 (Archive Of Our Own) from now on, under the user Zurixo.

I apologize for the inconvenience, and I hope to see you all over on AO3.

(As of 1.25.20 there have been 2 more chapters published on AO3 that are not on this website)


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